


Hibernaculum

by anne_ammons



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Evil Author Day, F/M, Healing, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29476785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anne_ammons/pseuds/anne_ammons
Summary: Turns out Hogwarts has a secret society for its best and brightest. What? You didn’t know? Me neither.
Relationships: Hannah Abbott/Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25
Collections: Evil Author Musings





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kifiyathewriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kifiyathewriter/gifts).



> I am posting this fic as part of Evil Author Day. This is one of several in the hopper that need time and attention. I hope you enjoy the first two chapters. I will get around to posting the rest... one of these days.

As Hermione entered the Great Hall, her eyes instinctively drifted upwards towards the ceiling. She wondered what she might find. The enchanted ceiling hadn’t returned to normal, yet each day she checked, hoping that one day soon it would be clear, instead of the constant fog and gloom it displayed.

It was a holdover from the war. While much of the castle had been repaired, there were still some parts that reflected the turbulent year they’d all had, the ceiling that no longer reflected the night sky for one. Headmistress McGonagall had assured the returning students that it would resolve in time, but for now, they should expect that some of the castle’s enchantments wouldn’t quite work as intended. Besides the ceiling, there were a few staircases that refused to move with any sort of predictability, the House Points were a complete mess, and now and then one of the few remaining stone soldiers would take to patrolling on its own without being asked, which of course terrified whoever came across it.

There was nothing that was harmful. Things were just out of sorts, like all of them still were, trying to adjust to what now was, rather than what had been, trying to integrate all that had happened. It would take them all some time to sort out. For the castle, at least, it was rather old magic, after all, and with everything that had happened here, she figured it would be no different.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she sat down at the breakfast table, making sure to leave enough space between her and the two others who were already glued together as if they had been parted for far longer than overnight.

Her stomach turned as she heard the blonde-haired woman speak in a breathy moan.

“Oh, Won Won. Here, have my sausages. I can’t seem to eat another bite.”

Hermione’s stomach turned, noting that while one of Ron’s hands was busy with his fork, the other was surreptitiously hidden under the table, most likely between Lavender’s thighs. In the midst of the Great Hall, no less. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to eat at all. She should have sat at the other end of the table with the First-Years. 

She didn’t begrudge Ron and Lavender their time together given she and Ron had decided shortly after the battle that they were both better off as friends than anything else. But that didn’t mean she needed a dose of teenage libido with her toast.

It had surprised her to find that when she had a chance to fully consider, she found she loved the Weasley family, but she was not in love with Ron, particularly since his idea of being together had seemed to consist of trying to stick something in her any way he could — finger, tongue, it didn’t seem to matter. To him, it had all been fair game, and she wasn’t really a fan of moist ears. Thankfully, the two of them had broken up before it had progressed to anything more serious. 

It had all seemed too easy that she and Ron would end up together, when the truth was, they weren’t that compatible. They balanced each other as friends, but she had sincere doubts about their ability to build upon that. Plus, the future Ron saw for the two of them looked suspiciously like the one his mother and father shared. Hermione didn’t begrudge the domestic bliss that the Weasleys had, but if there was one thing Hermione knew, it was that she was no Molly Weasley. Rather than lose a friend, it had been far more straightforward for them to untangle their short-lived relationship.

She tuned out the murmurings from the couple across the table and thought back to early summer when it became clear that she and Ron weren’t destined to be more than friends, regardless of what they had both thought for a brief moment.

_She, Ron, Ginny and Harry had slipped away from Molly Weasley’s ever-watchful eye on the pretense of picking blackberries for a pie for dinner. There was a lovely thicket by the stream, and Ginny had announced that the berries were just ready for harvesting._

_Hermione had known instantly that Harry and Ginny wanted to be alone, again. She could support her friends in that, but she wasn’t thrilled with what it meant for her._

_Ginny and Harry had wandered off, and the two of them sat awkwardly in the grass on the edge of the stream. Ron put his arm around her and pulled her close, moving in to shove his tongue down her throat once again._

_She pulled back from him._

_“Ron.”_

_He stopped immediately and opened his eyes. Looking at her face, his expression turned melancholy._

_“This thing between us, it isn’t going to work, is it?”_

_She dropped her eyes to her lap. Say what you want about Ron’s emotional intelligence, he had flashes of intuition at times._

_“I don’t think so, Ron. I think the war has changed us. What we may have wanted before doesn’t seem relevant anymore.”_

_Ron lay back in the soft grass and sighed._

_“I get it. I really do. As much as I love you, Hermione. I think if we pushed at this, we’d probably both end up miserable, and I value you in my life far too much to let that happen.”_

_His frankness surprised her. She had expected more of a fight, not this resigned acceptance._

_He probably felt as awkward as she did. Everyone expected them to be together, it had seemed natural to go along with it. However, for her it felt anything but natural at this point._

_She lay down on the grass next to him and joined him in looking at the sky._

_“I do love you, you know.” She heard Ron say softly._

_“I know. I love you, too, but not like that.”_

_He reached for her hand and laced her fingers with his. Instead of awkward, it felt reassuring. She sighed._

_“Glad that’s settled. Now we just have to figure out what to do all summer while those two go at it.” Ron tilted his head in the direction Harry and Ginny had wandered off._

“Are you not eating today?”

A voice pulled Hermione out of her reverie. Neville had joined her at the table and was looking at her oddly.

“Sorry, was lost in my thoughts.”

He smiled and pushed a plate in front of her. “You need to eat, Hermione. We all do.”

It was true. She was still trying to put on the weight she had lost while being on the run last year. Between stress, war, and the insanity that had been Hogwarts last year, everyone was still adjusting, particularly the older students who had been a part of what had happened. They were lucky to have been invited back to finish their studies. Given there had been no exams last year, and far more survival than education, this school year was a mandatory do-over for everyone who had been in years five through seven.

It seemed the Ministry would rather let Hogwarts deal with the lot of them for another year than have an entire class of untrained and maladjusted young wizards to deal with, particularly when they were still trying to sort themselves out. It made sense, as far as Hermione was concerned. She had wanted to finish her education, but it seemed odd to still be at Hogwarts at nineteen, when she expected to have already started the next chapter of her life.

Well, she hadn’t expected to have fought in a war, either.

Still, it was good to be back in a familiar space. Even with everything that had happened here, in this very room, she felt a sense of peace and protection within the walls of the castle. Everyone seemed to be on their best behaviour. Even the Slytherins seemed far more subdued this year, which was understandable, given many of their parents had been arrested and were now awaiting trial.

Hermione had just taken a bite of toast when the sound of wings filled the air. It was time for the morning mail. Hermione reached into her robes to find the Knuts she had stashed there to drop in the pouch of the owl that delivered her copy of the Daily Prophet. Ron and Harry had rolled their eyes at her for subscribing, but she decided she would not be caught unaware of what was happening around them. The Ministry of Magic had much to make up for, and the only way one could be sure they were doing things right this time around was to stay abreast of their decisions.

She trusted Kingsley, who had been appointed as Minister in the aftermath of the Final Battle, but the truth was, there had been a whole machinery that had gone along with the desires of Voldemort’s puppet government, plenty of rank-and-file employees had chosen to keep their heads down rather than fight against a system that had made criminals of Muggle-borns and instituted a general reign of terror for nearly a year.

What was that saying? The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.

Hermione was determined to not be a person who was okay doing nothing. She placed her coins in the pouch and untied the paper from the owl’s leg. She began unfolding it as it flew off.

“Looks like that one’s waiting for you.”

Hermione looked up at Neville as he nodded at another owl waiting patiently on the table. She frowned. She never got personal mail. Her parents were still tucked away in Australia, and Molly always sent word for her through Ginny when needed. Who would be sending her mail?

She untied a plain envelope and looked at it curiously. The owl nipped her finger for making it wait and then flew off.

There was no name listed. She turned it over and saw that the envelope was completely blank.

“What is it?” Neville asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied truthfully.

She slipped her finger under the flap to lift it, but winced as she felt the paper slice her finger.

“Ouch!”

Instinctively, she brought her finger to her mouth. She could see a thin red trail left behind on the envelope.

“Let me see.”

Neville cradled her hand and tapped the tip of her finger with his wand while muttering a healing spell.

Neville was different this year. He seemed far more confident than before, as if his time in the castle last year had ripped away any remaining vestiges of boyhood and left in its place a man.

True, he still was exceedingly gentle and kind, but everyone now knew the layers of steel that he possessed, and many had seen his prowess with a sword firsthand. To hear others talk, Neville had almost single-handedly led the resistance within the castle last year, and he had also paid the price for it.

Neville, however, didn’t talk about it at all. He had no interest in being in the spotlight. Instead, he went about his business with the same methodical care he’d had in recent years, save in Potions, where not having to deal with Snape’s bullying meant he was no longer a quivering mess. None of that mattered now, thought Hermione, still struggling to reconcile the teacher she had known with the more complicated parts of his story she had learned from Harry not that long ago.

This year Neville was apprenticing with Professor Sprout in the greenhouses, in addition to his N.E.W.T.s coursework. Hermione was glad her friend had found his niche. It was a far cry from the awkward boy he had been even just a few years ago.

“Thanks, Neville.” She smiled at him and then turned her attention back to the half-torn envelope, being far more careful approaching it this time. She frowned. There was no sign of blood from where she had sliced her finger, and if she hadn’t just watched Neville heal it, she’d have to wonder had it happened at all.

This time the flap acquiesced as soon as she put her finger under it, and she looked curiously at what appeared to be a blank notecard inside. As soon as her fingertips touched it, though, the card burst into colour, like a television coming to life.

She pulled the card from the envelope and immediately dropped it with a gasp, but as soon as it left her fingers, it was plain once again.

“Whatcha got there, ‘Mione?” Ron called, having peeled his attention away from Lavender for the moment.

“I’m not sure,” Hermione replied, wondering if she should touch the card again or not. In the brief moment she had touched it, she had seen an image of snakes. It was not like the Dark Mark, even so, it had shocked her.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked over at the few Slytherins gathered this morning. Was this someone’s idea of a joke? No one at the table was paying her any attention. She looked up and found Neville watching her curiously.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded, “I think so. It just surprised me.”

“What did?”

She looked down at the plain card sitting in front of her. She felt silly. It had to be a flash of her imagination, a trick someone was playing. Harry was always teasing her about needing to relax, now that the hard times were behind them. It was true, she still felt on edge, as if she had to stay ready for the next challenge, as they had done for too many years now. It was hard to let that go. They had only made it through the last year because of their vigilance. Well, that and a good bit of luck, and help from surprising places. 

In any event, whatever it was, she’d rather not puzzle it out in front of everyone. She slipped the card back into its envelope and placed it in her satchel, careful not to touch it again. She’d take another look later, but for now, it was time for class.

While few students had interest or aptitude in upper-level Arithmancy, it was one of Hermione’s favourite subjects. Along with Ancient Runes, she appreciated the way the subject made her world narrow to the point where there was nothing to focus on other than the numbers. Everything else was stripped away. There were a handful of Ravenclaws in the class, along with Theodore Nott, Draco Malfoy and Hermione. It was almost the same setup for Ancient Runes. Few students had an interest in the level of effort it took to get through those two N.E.W.T. level classes. The workload alone was excruciating, let alone the content, but Hermione could appreciate the challenge.

Professor Vector made them work from the time she called the class to order until time to go. Hermione hadn’t even had a chance to think about the mystery in her bag. It wasn’t until her free period in the afternoon that she had the opportunity to head to the library, one of the few places she wouldn’t be interrupted. Anyone who was in the library at that time of day was focused on their work. It was only after dinner that the place became more crowded, hosting a mix of those looking to get their work done and those looking to socialise.

She found a table in the back and carefully pulled out the envelope once again, this time taking the time to look it over. It was completely unremarkable, other than the small tear that had formed when she was trying to open it originally, and as before, she could find no sign of where she knew she had bled on the ivory paper. She took out her wand and ran every spell she could think of, before opening it again.

There were no hexes or curses that she could find. There was no ill intent from the sender. Other than the owl having delivered the note to her, there was no way to even tell that it had been meant for her. It was a mystery, then, but one that didn’t appear harmful.

She opened the flap once more, looking at the contents, wondering if the card would come to life when she touched it, as it had before. She grasped the envelope by its side and let it slide out, running the same diagnostic spells on it, just to make sure. Just like the envelope, it was clean. Just an ordinary piece of card stock that appeared blank on both sides.

But when she touched it, the card sprang into life. A nested knot of snakes covered the centre, with a constellation of stars around it. For a moment the card looked red, then green. It flashed through a rainbow of colours, not settling on any one for more than a moment.

It was quite an exquisite bit of magic, she thought. Charmed paper that reacted to touch.

But what did it mean? And why had it been sent to her?

She had more questions than answers at this point.

“Somehow, I knew I’d find you here.”

Hermione looked up to see her dearest friend with a crooked smile on his face. If the war had created a bit of a wedge between her and Ron, at least in their ability to be romantic with one another, it had solidified the platonic bond she had with Harry. Even though he spent far more of his time with Ginny than with her these days, Hermione’s heart could only be happy for him. He deserved this bit of peace and happiness.

“What’s that? Working on your correspondence?” he teased.

She looked down at the card that was blank once more.

“Actually, no. I was just trying to figure out what this is.”

Harry’s timing was fortuitous. It would make it easier for her to test out her hypothesis.

“You needed to puzzle out a blank piece of paper?”

“Well, not exactly.”

She nudged it towards him, careful to not touch it.

“Here, pick it up.”

Harry reached over and touched it, turning it over in his hands. It hadn’t changed.

He shrugged and placed it on the table.

“Okay. What gives?”

Hermione frowned, “You didn’t see anything?”

Harry shook his head.

“You do?”

She picked up the card and the colour burst across the page. She didn’t jump this time, since she knew what to expect. Hermione watched the snakes in the centre slither around each other for a moment before she turned her eyes to Harry, looking for a reaction of some kind to the odd symbol. Instead, she found him frowning slightly.

“Still nothing?”

Harry gave her a look as if she was crazy.

“Am I supposed to see something?”

So, he still couldn’t see anything, even as she held it.

This was curious, indeed.

She brushed it off, not wanting to alarm him. After all, her checking had shown no ill intent. Plus, what would she tell him, that an owl had dropped off a blank envelope with a blank card inside and somehow she was the only one that could see it?

“Never mind, it’s just something I’m working on. So, what did you need?”

“What? I can’t come see my best friend? I had few minutes before class.”

Hermione snickered. “So you mean Ginny has class, Ron’s off with Lavender and you got bored.”

The tips of Harry’s ears turned pink, but he didn’t deny it.

Hermione laughed.

“At least I love you, Harry James Potter.” She swept her bookbag aside. “Come, sit down, and tell me what’s going on.”

He grinned back at her.

Theirs was an easy friendship. The tether between them stretched easily, yet always brought them back together. Where her relationship with Ron was sometimes like oil and water, Hermione and Harry were far more in tune with each other, but not in the way that some outsiders had suggested. While they relied on each other, there was no romantic attraction between them. Perhaps that was the secret of their friendship, why it had remained steadfast through everything.

Regardless of what anyone thought, she was no more jealous of Ginny than she was of Lavender — which was not at all. In fact, she felt quite close to Ginny, too, although the redhead seemed a little miffed that she had to put up with Ron dating Lavender, instead.

Truly, no one wanted to be around those two for very long.

While Hermione was happy for her two best friends, she felt like a third wheel at times. Visits to Hogsmeade weren’t the same when you were the only one not coupled up. Thank goodness Ginny refused to subject Harry to the horror of Madame Puddifoot’s.

It wasn’t that Hermione was lonely, nor was she wasn’t looking for a distraction during her N.E.W.T.s year. But she couldn’t help thinking it would be nice if she had someone, too. Not for the P.D.A., but companionship and conversation, and maybe an occasional snog. That would be lovely, she thought.

Alas, whoever Mr or Ms Right hadn’t shown themselves yet, which left Hermione with extra time on her hands while her two best friends turned to their significant others for things that she couldn’t (and didn’t want to) give them. 

After dinner, she headed back to the library to get her homework done. It was much easier studying in there than trying to be productive in the Common Room with all the younger students milling about. However, the library tended to get pretty busy in the evenings as well.

She sighed, trying to ignore the sound of the whispers, footfalls, and the chairs scraping against the stone floor. She supposed she could always move to an empty classroom, but there you ran the risk of having your space invaded by a couple who were overly amorous but didn’t have N.E.W.T.s to study for, until you cleared your throat so they would realise the room was already occupied.

That had happened more times over her Hogwarts career than she wanted to admit. Plus, the library had all the books she could need.

After finishing her Potions essay, Hermione took out the mysterious card once again, hoping to uncover some of its secrets.

She watched the colours flash for a moment before settling her gaze on the centre. The arrangement of the snakes wasn’t one that she was familiar with. It wasn’t an Ouroboros. It reminded her of a Gordian knot, but the placement of the snakes and their manner seemed purposeful.

Hermione’s mind immediately went to her Slytherin classmates, but she couldn’t make sense of why one of them would have gone through the trouble of sending her something like this. While she had been wary at first, now she was simply curious.

Plus, these snakes looked nothing like the menacing viper that featured on Slytherin’s crest. These snakes were small and thin, almost like a grass snake or even a slow worm. She counted at least four heads, although it was hard to tell, as the lot of them weaved in and out of each other’s coils in an unending loop.

It was all so very odd. She wondered how she might unravel this mystery before it became too distracting. They were only a few weeks into the semester at this point, and while she was ahead in her work, she wanted to stay that way.

She had some time before curfew, though, so she went to look for a couple books that might help. Snakes were common symbols in folklore and mythology, both magical and Muggle. Besides the Ouroboros, there was the story of Medusa, Hermes and the Caduceus. While the Gordian knot was made of ropes, she wondered if there might be something to the familiar symbolism, but what book might have the answer she was seeking?

After scanning them all, however, Hermione found she was no closer to an answer, so she decided to call it a night.

It was close to curfew, so the castle was quiet now, save for a few stragglers and the prefects on patrol. She had plenty of time to make it, and there were few people who would bother her about being a little late, so she took her time. As she walked, she thought through what she had learned, or really, what she hadn’t learned in her foray into snake-related symbols. She flipped the odd card over in her fingers, catching a glimpse of a different colour each time she turned it over. Yellow. Green. Red. Blue. It wasn’t a rainbow of colours — they were the colours of the four Hogwarts houses, she realised, stopping to watch for a moment as one faded into the next. That had to mean something.

She passed the entrance to Great Hall and was getting ready to start her climb towards Gryffindor tower when her eyes caught sight of a carving in the stone that she hadn’t noticed before. It appeared that the same symbol as was on the card was etched on the wall.

How odd, she thought. After all these years in the castle, there were still parts she didn’t know. 

She walked over to get a better look, and as she did, a door materialised in front of her, below where the symbol was carved.

Hermione stepped back, her mind flying to the one thing that it couldn’t be. The Room of Requirement was on the Seventh Floor — and to her knowledge, it hadn’t opened since Crabbe had unleashed Fiendfyre in it, in a misguided attempt that had cost him his life. She was sure she had never seen a door here before, but then what was this? Had the castle moved the entrance?

Her first instinct was to ignore it, particularly given all the questions she had. She would need to do more research, perhaps ask Madam Pince to point her towards better reference books tomorrow. It was late, after all, but she also felt deeply curious about why this door had appeared. Why here? Why now? What did it have to do with the card in her hand?

And most importantly, would it appear to her again, if she didn’t open it now?


	2. two

“Finally, we’re even again. Now you lot have nothing to say.”

Hermione heard a woman’s voice as she opened the door, but she was hesitant to step inside, not knowing what lay beyond the safety of the hallway. The room was darker than the hall, and her eyes strained to make the adjustment.

“Glad you’ve made it, Granger. I must insist that you close the door, preferably with you on this side of it, but either way, it’s your choice.”

She knew that voice. It belonged to one of her Slytherin classmates, Theodore Nott, but he wasn’t alone. Had it been Padma who spoke earlier? She made a split second decision to step fully inside and close the door behind her, but she kept her back to the door, ready to bolt the first moment she felt threatened.

“It’s about time.”

Another male voice. Was that Anthony Goldstein?

“Please, she was faster than you. I told you she’d find her way here quickly. Hermione’s not one to let go of an open question.”

That one sounded like Susan Bones.

Hermione had the distinct feeling of being at a disadvantage. Everyone could see her, and knew who she was, but she was grappling to figure out what was going on. At last, as her eyes adjusted, she could begin to figure out where she was and who she was with. It wasn’t a large room — probably about the size of the Gryffindor common room, from what she could tell. It appeared to be outfitted with an assortment of couches and chairs, among other things that she turned her attention from, so she could focus on the people. Presumably, they held the answers she had been trying to find.

She knew she looked ridiculous hanging onto the door like a lifeline.

“You can come in and sit, you know. We won’t bite.”

It was Theo speaking again, inviting her to join him.

“Much…”

And that was Anthony’s voice.

She took a seat in an empty chair across from where Theo sat and waited for someone to tell her what was going on.

“Drink, Granger?”

Draco Malfoy came into her periphery with a bottle in his hand.

This was getting weirder by the moment. She couldn’t remember when Malfoy had been civil to her, although she couldn’t remember the last time he had been nasty, either.

“No, thank you.” She bit out, waving him away with what he was offering. Whatever it was, she wasn’t interested. She needed to keep her wits about her as she sorted this all through.

She kept her eyes on Theo, who was sitting comfortably on the couch across from her with an odd smile on his face.

“So you sent it?” She pressed.

Theo shook his head, although his smile remained.

“Pay up, you tossers.”

Theo reached in his pocket and fished out a Galleon and tossed it to Susan, who was circling the room collecting coins from Malfoy and Goldstein as well. When she finished, she walked over and sat on the floor, facing Hermione, with her back to the couch Theo was sitting on. Meanwhile, Padma came and sat on the arm of her chair.

“Hey, Hermione.”

“Padma.”

Hermione had known Padma for a long time. Out of everyone in the room, she would count her and Susan as friends. She didn’t expect trouble out of any of her classmates at this point, but she thought she could expect Padma to not steer her wrong.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?” she asked, hoping Padma might fill her in.

Padma looked up at Theo, who slowly shook his head no. She turned back to Hermione with a grimace. But Padma was Head Girl, why she would look to Theo for direction? Hermione couldn’t understand.

“Sorry, Hermione. But there’s nothing to worry about, honest.”

“Easy for you to say, Padma.”

The room was quiet. She looked at the faces of everyone who had filled in a circle, with her and Theo on opposite sides. It was as if everyone was waiting for something, but Hermione was the only one who did not know what.

She started tapping nervously for a moment before coming to a decision and suddenly stood.

“Well, if no one is going to tell me what’s going on, I’m heading out. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I don’t have time to waste.”

“Told you,” said Malfoy.

Hermione whipped her head to look at him.

“Told who what?”

There was more vinegar in that question than perhaps was warranted, but there was no possible way Draco Malfoy should ever have her name in his mouth.

“Not helpful, mate.” Theo gave his housemate a two-fingered salute, but didn’t take his eyes off of Hermione.

“You’re free to go, Granger, but if you leave, you won’t remember any of this, so you have to decide whether you want to leave this mystery hanging before you get your questions answered or not.”

Had Theo just threatened her? Hermione’s hand immediately slipped into her wand pocket as she prepared her strategy. She knew she couldn’t take them all, but she could probably stun two of them. Malfoy was a good dueller and quick with his wand — that would be who she needed to target first. She knew both Susan’s and Padma’s fighting style, and figured they would be too stunned to act right away…

“Oh, come off it, Granger. No one here is going to hex you.”

Anthony sounded exasperated, but Theo merely looked amused.

“Your choice, but we’ll need to wait just another minute before anyone says anything. I promise your patience will be rewarded.”

Hermione nodded in acknowledgement, but kept her hand in her pocket. She was growing increasingly concerned about what exactly was going on. There was inter-house mixing, but this seemed to have thrown all conventions out. Two Slytherins, two Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff. Anyone would see it as an odd mix.

On top of that, Susan and Padma had both fought in the D.A. She thought Goldstein and Nott had both been neutral, and everyone knew where Malfoy had stood. That he was at Hogwarts at all was more of a mercy to him, given his age. But to see Susan standing around Malfoy so calmly, when Susan’s aunt had been killed by Voldemort himself? She knew Hufflepuffs were forgiving, but this was taking it too far.

At that moment the door opened, drawing all of their attention to the latest entrant.

“I checked the library, but couldn’t find her. I don’t know where…” Neville’s voice trailed off as he stepped into the room, pulling Hannah Abbott behind him. “Oh, you’re here. Hey, Hermione.”

His mouth curled into a smile, and he fished a coin out of his pocket and tossed it to Susan, just as the others had done.

Hermione had had enough. Either she got an answer from someone or she was leaving.

Theo only seemed amused by her frustration. “Well, now that we’re all here, I’m happy to tell you what’s going on. Welcome to the Hibernaculum, Granger.”

“The what?”

“The Hibernaculum, it’s a den, a refuge.”

“I know what it means.” Hermione was indignant. “I don’t know what _you_ mean by it.”

“Of course, you know what it means.” Theo waved off. “Let me be more specific, then. Welcome to Hogwarts’ Secret Society.”

Whatever she had been expecting, it was not that. She looked at each person in turn, waiting for someone to break into laughter, telling her they were all having a bit of fun at her expense. However, they all looked serious, and perhaps expectant.

“Secret Society? Hogwarts doesn’t have a Secret Society.”

Neville broke into laughter, as did a couple others.

“Oh, I don’t know Hermione, there was the D.A., the Marauders, and even the Order, if you want to be technical about it.”

“Yes, but those were different. And besides, there’s nothing in _Hogwarts: A History_ about it.”

“Yesss!” Malfoy hissed and pumped his fist from his spot on the other side of the room, while Anthony groaned. Hermione saw him fish out another coin and toss it towards Malfoy, who deftly plucked it from the air.

Padma chuckled. “Told you that one wasn’t worth taking.”

Theo simply rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing in _Hogwarts: A History_ exactly because of that. It’s a _secret_.”

Hermione sat back down and someone thrust a butterbeer into her hand.

“Here, trust me, it’ll help.”

She took the proffered beverage, but kept her eyes trained on Theo, waiting for something he was saying to make sense.

“A long time ago, not too long after the creation of Hogwarts, the founders had a falling out.”

This wasn’t news to her. She eyed Theo warily, trying to impress on him that she had no interest in playing games.

He continued his train of thought, ignoring her unease.

“While _that_ is well-recorded, what isn’t as well known is how the discord between the founders threw off the magic imbued in the castle. Hogwarts was founded on balance — with each founder having given some of themselves to create the magic of this place. When Salazar Slytherin left, that compact was broken. The other three founders did their best to fill the gap that his departure had created, but as much as they tried, they didn’t possess the necessary skills or traits to do so. There needed to be a way to help restore the equilibrium between the houses, between all of us here at Hogwarts, and so, the Hibernaculum came to be.”

“You mean this dates back-”

“Centuries, Granger. As far as we can tell, this stretches back almost to the very beginnings of Hogwarts.”

Theo had a smile on his face that implied he was quite pleased to provide Hermione with information that she didn’t know. It grated at her a little. She wasn’t used to feeling at a disadvantage like this, particularly in a room full of people who had been nipping at her academic heels for too long.

But the history and mystery of it called to her, and everyone in the room most likely knew that. To say she was interested was an understatement, but it wouldn’t do to seem too eager, particularly when she was still trying to understand what all this meant.

“And if I say no?”

Theo’s smile faded, as if he hadn’t been expecting that reaction.

“I don’t think you understand what you’d be walking out on, but as I said, you’re free to go at any time until you agree to join. No one is holding you here against your will.”

“Just like that? I can walk out the door and we’ll forget this ever happened?”

Theo tipped his head. “Well, you’ll forget. If you leave before you sign the book, once you-”

“The book?” she interrupted.

Theo nodded. “It stretches back to the very beginning. Once you sign it, you’re entering into a magical contract. Standard stuff.”

“And all of you did this?”

There were several nods around the room.

“Well, Anthony had to figure it out twice, given he left and promptly forgot everything he had been told.” Padma added and a few chuckles followed.

“Hey, it didn’t take me as long the second time.”

Hermione frowned. It was all well and good that Anthony seemed to have a story, but she was still focused on Theo, who was the one that seemed to be calling the shots.

“Who made you the spokesperson for the group, anyway? Why isn’t it Padma or Neville who’s explaining all this to me?”

“Ah… because I was the first one in, that makes me the caput, which means it’s my job.”

The caput, the Latin word for head or chief. She’d need to understand more before she would agree that he should have such a title.

“And this is all of you? These are all the members?” She looked around the room counting seven minus herself now, given both Neville and Hannah had joined the group.

“Well, now that you’re here, it’s all of us. To be honest, I’m surprised it’s taken this long. We’ve been waiting for you. Granted, we haven’t exactly been sitting around, but my guess is we’ll get a lot more done with you in the fold.”

“What does that even mean?” Hermione asked exasperatedly. “I can’t be sure if you’re speaking in metaphors or plainly.”

She realised her hackles were up. This conversation was more than she had spoken with Theodore Nott in all the years they had been at school together.

Susan came to her defence. She turned her head and looked back at Theo.

“You’re taking this too fast. Give her some time to adjust. Just because she’s the last one doesn’t mean we can’t take this more slowly. We want it to go well, don’t we?”

She turned to face Hermione again. “I’m sorry. It’s a lot to take in. Don’t worry. You’ll catch up in no time. We’ve all had to go through this.”

It was what “this” was that concerned Hermione.

She was being asked to join a secret society in a hidden magical castle. She supposed nothing should be a shock by now. Even so, she was having trouble wrapping her head around it all.

“So, no one outside the people in this room is aware of this. No one?”

“Well, as you’ll see, it appears McGonagall was in it when she was a student, so she knows, or at least she knew at one point. To be honest, we’re not sure what happens after this year is over. But, just like many snakes are oviparous, mostly, we’ve had to find our own way about.”

“Not entirely.” Padma chimed in.

Theo shook his head. “Please, as if she’s told us anything helpful-”

“Just because you don’t understand…”

“And she doesn’t particularly like Slytherins, anyway!”

Hermione frowned and raised her voice. “The Headmistress treats everyone the same. You can’t accuse her of-”

The lights in the room flickered once, and the room plunged into silence.

Draco Malfoy shook his head slowly.

“Granger, no one was talking about McGonagall.”

She started to say something in return, but thought better of it. She wasn’t exactly on solid ground here, given everyone else in the room seemed to know what was going on. They all exchanged a cautious glance before continuing.

“In any event, whether you like it or not, the Castle wants you to be here.” Theo continued. “And frankly, we all do, too. I was really confused about how we’d get any of this done without you, but now I think it was just waiting for it to be the right time, for it and you to be ready. What do you say, Granger? Are you in?”

The castle? It? Theo was speaking in metaphors again, but she was intrigued.

“I have questions.”

Several in the room broke into chuckles at that.

“I’m sure you do, and after you sign, we can take as much time as we need to answer them. But first, before we go any further, I’ll need you to put your name in the book, so we’re not wasting everyone’s time. Even if I satisfied your curiosity, you’d just forget as soon as you walked out the door, so, what do you say?”

It was a lot to take in.

And then her eyes fell on Neville’s. He looked like he was about to jump out of his skin with excitement as he waited for her response. He was the only person who she’d known at Hogwarts longer than Harry, the only other person who never took sides against her when she and Ron had a falling out.

If Neville was here, and he had no hesitations, she should be able to rely on that. That’s what did it. That’s what made Hermione nod her head up and down, and as she did, she watched Neville’s face break into a grin.

“Claviger!” Theo called in a tone that seemed far more formal than needed.

Neville stepped forward with a grin and led her towards the back of the room.

“I knew it wouldn’t take you too long. It took me nearly a week to figure it out.” He said in a low voice, as if trying to reassure her that everything that was happening was all right. She nodded, but was distracted as she looked around once more.

As focused as she had been on everyone, she hadn’t really had a chance to take in her surroundings. There had been an assortment of couches and chairs set together with several study tables behind them. At first glance, the furnishings were nicer than those in the Gryffindor Common Room. One wall sported an enormous fireplace. The back of the room, where Neville was leading her, was covered in bookshelves. Hermione’s hand itched to take a closer look, but first things first.

Interestingly, the room was devoid of art. There were no portraits or tapestries lining the walls, only books or panelling covered its surfaces. Hermione supposed that made some sense, given it was difficult to have any secrets when you couldn’t even tell who was listening at any given time.

Neville led her to a podium that held a large, ancient book. It was open to a page on which she found the signatures of the other seven people in the room. She looked around and found each of them watching the two of them expectantly.

“Hermione Granger, you have entered the Hibernaculum of your own free will. By signing your name in the book, you will become a member of this ancient and secret order, and be bound to keep its secrets from anyone not currently in this room. Do you agree to do so?”

This seemed unnecessarily dramatic. It wasn’t as if they were asking her to sign her life away, but Neville was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her verbal permission.

“Yes,” she replied, keeping both her annoyance and amusement at bay.

“You will take your place as the Cauda, the tail,” Neville continued. “The Cauda is a balance for the Caput, both ends are needed, yet neither is more important than any other piece. Do you agree to take on this responsibility, using your wisdom for the good of us all.”

Interesting. So, she would serve as a counterpoint for Theo Nott. She could agree to that.

“Yes.”

“And do you agree to bind your magic to the castle, to the very essence that flows through its walls? And agree to do all that you can to ensure its strength and survival?”

“What?” She faltered. Binding her magic? What did that mean?

She looked to Neville for a sign that this was all in jest, that he was pulling her leg, but found no trace of a joke on his face.

“It’s your choice. There’s no harm to you, but it’s what’s required,” he explained calmly.

She looked around the room at the others who were waiting to see what she would do and then looked back at Neville.

“Everyone of you agreed to that?”

Susan was the one who spoke up.

“Hermione, Hogwarts needs our help. The events of the last year have undermined its ability to take care of and protect the students. It’s our job to fix what has gone wrong, to make it right. Every single one of us has pledged to work together to do so.”

Neville held out the quill in his hand, but didn’t prompt her further. He knew her well enough to know that she needed to work through what she knew and decide what she would do.

She frowned. It seemed like there was no real choice. There weren’t exactly terms and conditions she could read and look over. If she signed her name, she was signing up for who knows what. No one seemed to have any specifics about what this entailed. At this point, she could still walk out the door. True, she’d forget all of this, but maybe that was what made the most sense. This was her N.E.W.T.s year, after all, and finishing her education was her priority.

She looked into the faces of everyone there. The expressions she saw were expectant, hopeful, maybe resigned, but there was no ill will among those who she called friends and even those that she didn’t.

How funny that this room might hold the key to what she was looking for, even if she herself couldn’t fully name what that was. This year was already different from any other, removed from all of Harry’s drama and the weight of the Wizarding world. It was almost funny that she now found herself here. Either she wasn’t entitled to a quiet year, or maybe she didn’t really want one.

Further, it wasn’t as if there had ever been a master plan before. Each obstacle she’d faced with Harry and Ron had been tackled with nothing more than ingenuity, a bit of critical thinking and sheer dumb luck.

But more importantly, if it truly was Hogwarts that needed her — and while that seemed incredible, she would thoroughly interrogate that before doing anything or she would find a way to get out of whatever this was — then perhaps that was worth taking a step into the unknown, a leap of faith. This place had become her home over the past seven years, growing up within its walls. Even spending last year on the run, as soon as she returned in May, with the battle looming, she felt a piece that she’d been missing all year finally slotted into place.

She hoped that other young witches and wizards would also have the opportunity to do so, and if that meant stepping into the unknown once again, then she would give it a shot.

Neville didn’t say a word as she took the quill from his hand and looked down at the book before which she had been standing. She read through each of the others:

> _Theodore Nott_
> 
> _Neville Longbottom_
> 
> _Susan Bones_
> 
> _Padma Patil_
> 
> _Anthony Goldstein_
> 
> _Hannah Abbott_
> 
> _Draco Malfoy_

Hermione put the quill to the page and signed her name at the end of the list.

As soon as she finished writing, her signature glowed golden for a moment before settling in as the black ink in which she’d written her name.

There were assorted cheers around the room.

“All right! Let’s get down to business!” Anthony proclaimed.

Theo shook his head.

“No, tonight, we celebrate. At last, our group is complete.”


End file.
